The Sound Of Change
by Aiyoku Saotome
Summary: Kagome made a selfless wish on the jewel and most of them were sent to the future; Midoriko had other plans for the two inu youkai. Once in the future, everything seemed perfect. The brothers co-owned one of the most successful businesses in Japan, everyone got used to living in Kagome's time, relationships blossomed, and life was good. Until a journalist caught Inuyasha cheating.
1. A Woman Scorned

**Official, full length summary: ****After Naraku was defeated, Kagome made a selfless wish on the Shikon no Tama but the way she worded it caused the group to split up. Most were sent to the future, but Midoriko had other plans for the two inu youkai. Once the group met up with them again in the future, everything seemed perfect. The two inu brothers co-owned one of the most successful businesses in Japan, everyone got accustomed to living in Kagome's time, relationships blossomed, and life was good. Until a journalist caught Inuyasha cheating.**

**I wrote the first, VERY rough, chapter of this story years ago but I never typed it up. Now, I can't get the idea out of my head! So here I am, writing it. I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

Kagome stared. She blinked. She stood. She didn't know why she grabbed the magazine as she left her office; she didn't really know what she was doing at all. She just knew she had to get out of that building. Not realizing her hands had started to shake when she pressed the elevator button, she rode it down ten floors to the lobby. As she stepped out, she saw someone looking at the same magazine in their hands, and then up at her. She saw the awful pity in the other woman's eyes, and she fled. The door to her freedom seemed so far away; people kept staring at her. Most people felt sympathy, curiosity, and sadness, but some women were wickedly happy; Inuyasha was a wanted man by many, and now his long-term fiance was out of the picture.

She burst through the door and was blasted by the cool fall air, but she kept going. Her heart was racing, her breathing was ragged, and her body wracked with sobs. _'How could you do this to me?!'_ she kept thinking. The magazine that caused all of this was thrown violently to the wet sidewalk, the front cover alerting passers-by of the girl's trauma if they didn't already know.

_Inuyasha Taisho Seen With Another Woman. Where Is Fiancee Kagome Higurashi?_

The photo explained it all. He was practically devouring the other woman's face at a fancy restaurant. Kagome picked up her phone and shakily dialed her best friend's number, but the phone buzzed before she could finish; it was Sango. "S-Sango," she wailed.

"I know, sweetie."

"He, Inuyasha, he cheated on me, he actually cheated on me."

"I know, sweetie."

"You got the magazine?"

"Yeah. And I'm going to tear his ass apart when I see him at work, later." Kagome sobbed harder. "Honey, I am so, so sorry. Who was that slutty-looking whore he was with?"

"H-his new secretary. She's the one I-I told you about, the one I thought m-might try to steal him away from me, but then I threw out that idea because I thought Yasha would n-never cheat! GOD I am so stupid!"

"You are not stupid, Kagome-chan. He is," she said with venom dripping from her voice.

"Sango," she cried, "what am I gonna do? I can't work here anymore, I can't go back to our apartment, I can't even face him again, and I have nowhere to go."

"You know you do. You will always have the shrine and my apartment to choose from, you know that. You need to calm down. I know it's hard, but you have to in order to get to my place. I don't have to be at the office for three hours, and I'm going to make you mac and cheese. So come over and you can cry over that and wine."

"Okay... thank you, Sango-chan. Oh, shit. That's him on the other line. What do I do?"

"As much as I want to tell you to ignore him, you should probably answer it. Put him in his place. But you don't have to. It's entirely up to you. Bye, Kagome. See you in a few."

Kagome answered the incoming call and felt her emotions suddenly shift from grief to fury. "Inuyasha, you're an ASSHOLE!" People around her turned and stared. "I am leaving this job and I am moving out! I am already on the street leaving this godforsaken building! No! I don't want to hear your bullshit story! NO I will NOT listen! YOU listen to ME! Our relationship of seven years is done! The wedding is off!" Some people started clapping and giving her thumbs up. She didn't respond to them, but she secretly loved that they were routing for her. "Don't you 'but sweetie' me! It's over, Inuyasha! And that will NEVER change!" By now, a crowd had gathered to hear what she had to say to him. But she didn't have to say another word on the phone, for the doors to the building flew open and he came running out.

"Kagome, baby, please. Please hear my side of the story!"

"THERE IS NOTHING FOR ME TO HEAR!" she screamed. She picked up the rain-soaked magazine and threw it at his face, but he dodged it and stared guiltily at her.

"Love, can we please talk about this? Go somewhere more private?" He glanced around at the now huge crowd. Even some reporters had gathered.

"No! I feel like humiliating you like you humiliated me! And I want the whole world to know that you're a dirty bastard, the scum of the earth, and nothing but a big-headed rich, arrogant shithead!" He cringed and flattened his ears to his head. She pulled the diamond ring off her finger and threw it at him. "Go give that to your dirty whore!" She turned to stalk away but she stopped, and her shoulders sagged. Without looking at him, she said defeatedly, "I loved you. I would have given my life for you." Then she found the strength to move her legs. The crowd parted for her, cheering and clapping. Inuyasha backed up and turned, fleeing back into his office building.

* * *

Sango's made her feel a little calmer, but she didn't leave feeling any better than she felt when she arrived. Sango begged her to say, but she had to be alone. It was raining again. She didn't know where she was going; she just walked where her feet took her. She eventually sat on a bench in the park a few blocks from Sango's apartment building and wept. She felt weak, but the pain was so raw that she didn't care if anyone saw her. It was raining so hard now that she was completely soaked. She pulled her feet up onto the bench, wrapped her arms around her legs, and put her forehead on her knees with no intention of leaving anytime soon.

* * *

Sesshoumaru was walking through the park back towards his office building after getting groceries for himself and Rin. Because of the rain, he could barely see ten feet in front of him. He mentally cursed; instead of driving, he thought he'd just go to the grocery store across the small park before going home because he hadn't smelled rain. The storm came on so quickly that he had no warning. Thankfully, he brought his umbrella just in case. He heard something and stopped walking. It was difficult for him to smell in the rain, but his hearing wasn't affected. He heard what sounded like a sniff. He squinted and saw a body on the bench ahead of him. He walked up to the person and immediately recognized her scent when he got close. "Miko?"

* * *

**I apologize if this is short, but I thought this was the best place to stop for now. I am known to have very long chapters, so I am working on shortening them. Please let me know what you think! Thank you!**


	2. Dream

**So... I didn't keep to my shorter chapters promise very well... I just can't help it! I love long chapters! **

**WARNING: Sesshoumaru's character is how I believe he would be if he had 500 years to change. So he still has MANY elements of the canon Sesshoumaru plus other elements I believe are part of him, even though the anime doesn't show that. So here you go... chapter 2!**

**To the anonymous reviewer, and anyone else if you were somehow by some small chance confused by this: Kagome and Inuyasha have NOT been together physically for 500 years. I explained this both in the summary and the first chapter. They were together for three years before Naraku was defeated, Kagome made a wish, she and the others minus Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru were sent to the future. The two brothers had to live 500 years without them. Well technically, 497. The brothers knew what day the others were sent to the future, so they waited at the well for them when they came through. Anyway, I hope that clears things up!**

* * *

"Miko?"

Kagome lifted her head up and his heart gave a twinge of pity; her eyes held so much pain, and it looked like she had been sitting there for quite a while.

"Sesshoumaru? What are you doing here?"

"Getting groceries. Why are you out in the rain? You'll catch a cold."

"I don't care. I like the rain; it's calming." Her voice sounded tired and weak, like she had no life left in her.

"Where is your son?"

"He always goes to the shrine after school until I pick him up after work. I have a few hours until work is supposed to end... I just didn't want to go there sooner." He put his umbrella in the grocery bag, and picked her up bridal-style because he knew she was too weak to walk. "Wha-what are you doing?"

"Taking you home."

"I don't have a home there, anymore."

"Not your place. Mine. You can call your mother and ask her to take Shippou for the night, I assume."

"No, I mean yes I can, but no, I can't impose on you like that."

"You are not. I am taking you."

"But you're getting soaked..."

Sesshoumaru said nothing. He didn't know when he had come to care for her, or why, but he did. Perhaps it was when she and the others came through the well after the wish, and he saw her with Rin in her arms before the little girl ran to him. Maybe it was from all the times she babysat and home-schooled Rin for him before Rin was put in an all day school, and when they chatted lightly when he came home after Rin had gone to bed. In any case, he didn't love her, but he cared enough to not leave her here.

When they got to his Maserati, he put her down and opened the door for her. She made a half-hearted fuss about getting the inside of his car wet, but he said something about it being just water and drove them to the garage of one of the high rise apartment buildings he owned; he and Inuyasha were in real estate. She was shivering so violently now that he picked her up again and hurried inside. They rode the elevator to the top floor, but she barely registered that. She didn't even see him use a special key to get to the top floor. They walked into his apartment and after closing the door, he turned on the lights and wrung out his long, low ponytail. He then proceeded to strip his top layers until he was bare-chested, hanging the wet clothing on the coat rack. Kagome would normally have blushed and stammered, as things like that embarrassed her, but she was in too much pain to care. He took off his shoes and socks but did not remove his pants; he didn't want to embarrass her and it wasn't proper, so he trudged off to his bedroom and came back in pajama bottoms with a bathrobe and a towel in his arms.

"Take your clothes off and put the robe on. I'll go to my bedroom so you can change. Then go take a hot shower. I'll have clothes ready for you when you are done. I hope you don't mind wearing some of mine."

"Sesshoumaru... you were kind enough to take me here, get you and your beautiful car wet, and let me take a shower. I wouldn't turn any of your kindness away, so no, I don't mind." She gave him a sad smile. "I appreciate everything, even the overly oversized clothes."

He cracked a smile at her small joke. "It is the least I can do to make up for my idiot brother's actions."

So he did know. Kagome was sure he did before, but he hadn't said anything about it until now.

He walked back into his bedroom and she changed out of everything, but took her underwear and hid it under the towel in her hands; she wasn't about to let him see those. She timidly knocked on his door and opened it when he told her to come in. "Um... where is your bathroom?"

"In here. I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything."

"Okay... thank you."

He gave her an extremely rare reassuring smile, one reserved only for Rin, and left, shutting his bedroom door. He called Rin's friend's mother and asked if Rin could stay overnight. As soon as he got off the phone, there was knocking at his door. He knew who it was before he smelled Inuyasha, as the hanyou is the only other person with a key to the top floor. He opened the door. "Inuyasha." Then he saw his brother's expression, and felt confused. Inuyasha looked really bad. His eyes were downcast, his shoulders were slumped, and his face was filled with great sadness.

"Sessh... I ruined it. I ruined my future."

"Come in and sit down." He closed the door and went back to the kitchen to put the rest of the food away.

As soon as Inuyasha sat down, he smelled something familiar and jumped up with wide eyes. "Kagome! She's here?"

"Sit down, Inuyasha. She is here, and she does not want to see you so don't get excited."

Inuyasha deflated and sat back down. "Why did she come here?"

"She didn't. I found her in the park on a bench in the rain."

Inuyasha groaned. "I can't believe I fucked up so badly."

Sesshoumaru didn't bother correcting his language. "What happened? Cheating is not like you."

"My secretary - who I fired - I took her out to dinner to talk business with her and she put something in my drink."

"She drugged you?!" the daiyoukai seethed. His youkai instincts flared to life. He and Inuyasha may have hated each other for hundreds of years, but that was behind them. Now they saw each other as family, having spent the last 500 years together. So to say he was pissed was a severe understatement.

"Not... exactly. I guess you could call it that, but it wasn't a drug. At least not one that alters your personality and thinking. It was something that... increases..." he blushed, "hormones, and makes it impossible for you to say no to... relief." His cheeks were burning.

"That sounds like a drug to me," Sesshoumaru growled.

Inuyasha saw the look in his brother's eyes and got worried. "Sessh... don't. Please don't cause any trouble. You can't kill people in this time, even though you're still technically the western lord. You know that doesn't hold as much meaning, anymore."

"I know that, but that does not mean I can't make her life hell. She drugged _pack_." Sesshoumaru's inner beast was coming through and his eyes were tinged red.

"Aniki," Inuyasha said with great respect, a name for 'brother' that he only used when he needed to get Sesshoumaru's attention away from his youkai. It was so shocking to Sesshoumaru that Inuyasha would ever call him that, that it always did the trick. The red faded slightly from his eyes. "It was my fault for taking Emiko out to dinner. She may have drugged me, but I still had rational thought. It was my fault for trusting her and it was my fault Kagome's heart was shattered. So I have to deal with this problem myself." His ears drooped.

Sesshoumaru was about to say something when he heard quiet, shallow breathing. Kagome was listening. He briefly wondered if his brother could hear it, even though he had lesser hearing than a daiyoukai, but continued with the conversation anyway. "When did you grow up?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "When we were left in the past to fend for ourselves without our humans, I guess."

"I am... proud of you." Inuyasha looked up in surprise. "All you can do is explain everything to Kagome and hope she understands. When she is ready to listen," he added. "I would not get my hopes up if I were you, though. She is a passionate girl and you were still in your right mind. You said the drug doesn't affect rational thought. She will take that into account. However, there is always a possibility in trying."

"I love her so much, Sessh."

He nodded. "Just not enough."

Inuyasha looked like he was about to defend that, but then he dropped it. "I would argue... but I guess you're right... I would think that if I truly loved someone, I would never ever cheat, even if someone slips an arousal drug in my drink... she'll think that, too. I'm gonna go... I don't want her to find out I'm here, if she doesn't already know, and get upset all over again. Thanks... bye, Sessh."

"Goodnight, Inuyasha." When he was sure his brother was in the elevator on his way down, he spoke. "I assume you heard everything."

He heard a gasp and his bedroom door opened. "How did you...?"

"I am a daiyoukai. I have more heightened senses than most youkai."

She blushed. "Right. Forgot. Well, you were right. About everything you told him. He was still in his right mind the entire time, and I can't forgive him. Maybe over time... but I won't give our relationship another chance."

"I understand. Just know that he is not a bad person, miko."

"I know. I know how pure his heart is. I just can't take another risk, as much as my heart is telling me to. And, could you please call me Kagome? I know I've asked you before, but miko is so old fashioned and I'd prefer my name... I hope you don't mind that I call you by your name without a title, I've just always called you that... anyway, can you please call me Kagome?"

He nodded, amused at her rambling. "As you wish."

"Thanks. Oh, uh, since when did you and Inuyasha get so close? I have never known that he calls you aniki."

"It is rare, and only to help control my beast's rage. Perhaps that will be a story for another time, as it is long. Would you like something to eat?"

"No, I'm alright. Thank you, though."

"Your stomach is growling." She blushed. "I am making dinner for myself, anyway. What would you like?"

"You cook?" she asked, shocked. Then she shot her hands over her mouth. "Oh! I'm sorry! That was so rude... I just didn't think you cooked because you're the lord of the west and all..."

"You are not rude. I never used to cook in the Sengoku because of obvious reasons, but when we started our business, I needed to be closer to work some days out of the week. Now that Rin is back, it makes it easier for her to get to school on time. I learned to cook because I did not want anyone here but myself, and now Rin."

"I always wondered who cooked your food here when I wasn't here to make Rin's dinner... I'm just curious, you're the lord of the west. Why did you start a business?"

"I needed something to do with myself. The additional funds help, as well."

"Makes sense."

"So. Food?"

"Whatever you're having," she replied. "I'm not picky."

It was then when she realized that being with Sesshoumaru made her feel happier and forget about Inuyasha. She smiled her first real smile that day.

* * *

_"I wish... I wish for everyone to be happy. Together. I want us all to be happy and live happily together. Sango, Miroku, Shippou, Inuyasha, Kirara, Sesshoumaru, Rin... everyone. Even Kouga and Ayame, and other youkai we befriended along our journey. I wish for Kikyou to be reborn and have a long, beautiful, fruitful life. Even if I don't make it, even if I have to sacrifice myself, especially for Kikyou to be reborn,I want everyone to be happy."_

_"Your wish is a selfless one," came a soothing female voice. "I will grant your wish in a way that will be best for all of you. You all want to grow old together. Since I cannot grant eternal life, I am sending you and your friends into the future along with your adopted son Shippou, simply because your lives are tied by family and he has no other in this time period. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru have business to attend to here still, and much growing up to do. They will stay, and meet up with you in the future. When, I cannot say. Kikyou will be reborn, but I will give her a new soul; you will get to live happily, too. However, with the adventures you and your group have had here and the changes you have made, youkai will exist publicly in your time. They will be numerous and live harmoniously with humans. They will have government positions and own businesses like everyone else. I will also make sure that your family retains their memories of before this change. Thank you, Shikon Miko, for making these changes, and for setting me free. My battle is over. Your battle is over. Go on to live and fight new ones. I wish you all luck."_

_She opened her eyes and saw everyone around her. They were staring at her in shock, and she realized they heard everything. Rin and the inu brothers began to protest because they did not wish to be apart from each other, but there was a flash of light that enveloped the humans and Shippou. The last they saw were Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru running at them and reaching out to Kagome and Rin. Then they suddenly appeared at the bottom of the well, but there was a roof overhead. Kagome held a sobbing, hysterical Rin who was screaming "daddy" and explained to her that she would see her father again. They helped each other climb out of the well, and looked around at the inside of the well house._

_"Kagome-chan?" Sango asked timidly. "Where are we? Your time?"_

_Kagome nodded. "We're at my family's shrine, in the well house. Come on, we should go to my house and tell my family what happened." Her voice was filled with sadness, for she, as well as the rest of them, didn't know when they would see Inuyasha again. But as soon as they stepped outside, they all gasped. Alongside Kagome's family, there stood Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru, hair pulled back and in modern clothes, waiting for them._

_"DADDY!" Rin ran full speed at Sesshoumaru, who, shocking everyone, fell to his knees and enveloped Rin in a big hug. "Rin thought she'd never see you again! Why... why are you crying?"_

_"Don't be silly, Rin."_

_She understood his meaning, and said nothing else about his tears._

_Kagome was picked up and swirled around by Inuyasha, both laughing and crying. When he put her down, he got on one knee and pulled a box out of his pocket, opening it to reveal a ring. Kagome's hands went to her mouth and fresh tears fell down her face. _

_"Kagome, I've grown up. I've had five hundred years to love and miss you. I don't want to lose you again. I've been waiting for so long to be with you again, and it was agony watching you go to school and go to the well without being able to talk to you. It has made me realize how much you mean to me, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"_

* * *

Kagome opened her eyes. How had everything changed so drastically? Why did he have to go and mess it all up? Her mind was battling with taking him back. It was a drug, not his choice... but he would have resisted had he loved her enough. Maybe it had to happen. To open her eyes. But he would never have cheated if he was never drugged. Maybe he could have grown to love her more in their marriage... she doubted it. If he couldn't fully love her in five hundred years apart and seven years in total together, he never could. She wiped her tears away and hesitantly got out of bed.

"Good morning," Sesshoumaru said when she walked down the hall, still dressed in his pajamas.

"Morning. Wait... if I slept in your bed, then... where did you sleep?"

"My sofa pulls out into a bed," he simply answered.

She looked distressed. "Sesshoumaru! Why did you let me take your bed? I would have gladly taken the couch! I'd have preferred it! I'd never want to take your bed and room away from you-"

"Miko," he interrupted strongly, "enough. It is alright. You fell asleep and I put you there. That bed is more comfortable than the sofa bed, and you needed rest much more desperately than I. Eat."

She said not another word after her mumbled thanks, and sat at the table with the heaping plate of food he handed her. He joined not long after.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked.

"I guess." He raised an eyebrow and she sighed. "I had a dream."

"About?"

"About the wish, and our return home here. Meeting up with you two again."

He knew what she wasn't saying. She dreamt of Inuyasha's proposal. "Tea?"

She looked relieved at not having to talk further about it. "Yes, please." She was glad that he, more than most, understood what she was thinking, and especially that he didn't ask her anything more about it. Sango would drop it, but she'd ask first if Kagome wanted to talk, and then she would look concerned for the rest of the day.

He poured her a cup and set it beside her. She glanced up at him and their eyes met. It had her wondering again how things ended up this way. "How did you change so much, Sesshoumaru?"

Her sudden question took him by surprise. He thought for a moment before he put his cup down. "To think and change into a better person takes a long time. Even longer for stubborn individuals. I had five and a half human lifetimes to change from the moment my daughter was ripped from me. If Rin was not in my life beforehand, I might not have changed as much. I was devastated, and lost without her. I can admit that, now. To be quite honest, it was Inuyasha who pulled me through."

Kagome's eyebrows almost flew off her head. "Inuyasha?"

He nodded. "We spent ten years alone, wallowing in our self hatred and pity, missing our humans and cursing Midoriko. Then one day, he found me to talk."

"What did he say?"

"He said this was ridiculous, the way we were living and being miserable. That there was a reason for Midoriko to leave us here, to do some of the 'growing up' we needed, as she put it. He said he was willing to let bygones be bygones because of my help in defeating Naraku, as well as saving your life, even though we hated each other. He was lonely, so I suspected that is why he came to me. I told him I didn't hate him, that I was so hard on him because I was jealous at first about Tetsusaiga, and when I got over that, to keep him in shape and stay on his toes. I did hate him for the first two hundred years of my life, but things changed. We talked for hours, though it was mostly him. He would come and find me every once in a while after that and would either be silent, or talk. They were brief visits, but they became longer. I asked him if he wanted to live in the palace after a while, to which he, of course, said no. He is a free spirit to this day."

"So that's how you two got close. I've wondered ever since we got here four years ago, but he never gave me a straight answer and I never had a chance or a reason to ask you."

"What is your reason, now?"

She took a moment to think. "The Sesshoumaru I knew would never have done all of the things you've done for me last night and this morning, or consider my feelings. You wouldn't have even stopped for me in the park. You used to want to kill me, and have tried to do so many times. But you've changed so much. You have a kind, caring heart now, that I'm sure Rin pulled out of you, and you've grown up; you're more mature. You have your own business, you're a father, you no longer kill without reason even though you're not allowed to, anymore. At least you don't seem like you want to. But you are still Sesshoumaru-sama of the western lands, and while people do change, the hardest thing to change about ourselves is how we react to things, our insides, our hearts. And I am willing to bet yur pride is taking a serious blow right now at having yourself laid out on the table, so I want you to know that I admire you. I admire how you've changed, what you've become, and how you are with Rin. I appreciate everything you've done for me, who, if not for Rin, you would never have any contact with at all. Back then, you were selfish in every aspect - excuse me for saying so - but now, you're a beautiful person, and I didn't understand why you did so much for someone you barely know or care about, someone you used to want dead. That's why I asked, that's my reason for wanting to."

He stared at her thoughtfully for a long time before he answered. She really hit every nail on the head, and she was right; he hated it when people pegged him, but she was the only person to ever get it correct. "You are perceptive," he finally said. "I was an idiotic bigot as a youngster, and I cannot take back what I have done to you and your friends. All I can do is apologize."

She smiled brilliantly, surprising and pleasing him. "I never wanted an apology. All you've done for me yesterday and today is more than I've ever expected from anyone. But, showing me how much you've changed is even more of a gift. I've always known you had good in you, even before you met Rin. And look at us! We're sitting in your living room, drinking tea and talking." She laughed a real, hearty, full belly laugh. "It's blowing my mind. And I love it."

He actually smiled. "It is blowing mine, as well." They sat in silence a bit longer until they finished their tea. He got up and brought her a pile of her clothes. "I washed these. They are dry and clean."

"Oh! You didn't have to do that... thank you." She smiled.

"You're welcome," he said sincerely. "I have to pick Rin up from her friend's house. Would you like to come along and pick up your son as well, or stay here until we come back?"

"Stay here? I thought I was going..."

"Home?" he asked. She nodded. "It is Saturday; Inuyasha will be there. You need a place to stay until you find a new one. You can fine someone else to live with if you wish, or you can stay with me and Rin for a while."

"You... you're offering for me to live with you?" she asked, completely shocked.

"Yes. I know Rin would love it, and it would do her good to have an adult female present more often, as well as a friend her own age; I know she and Shippou are close. Think it over, and decide later if you wish. I will not be offended if you look for another apartment. I am sure I can find one for you, being the owner of thousands." He smirked and she smiled.

"Thank you. I'll come with you... I'm just nervous about facing the public. Aren't you afraid of what they will say about you being seen with me not even twenty-four hours after breaking up with Inuyasha?"

"This Sesshoumaru is afraid of nothing, especially not petty commoners who believe everything magazines say."

She smiled all the way out the door and down to the garage.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! The next one won't come as soon because I still have to write it out. Possibly next week. Please let me know what you think! **


	3. A Face Of Old

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and Rei.

Thank you for your reviews! I love them, they make me happy :D It was brought to my attention that someone thought Sesshoumaru has become more human... no, definitely not. He is still very much Sesshoumaru, but more mature. He has had 500 years to grow up, so as I warned in a previous chapter, he will be a little different than what most of you are used to. However, he is still very much the same sexy, dominant demon you all love, I promise! Just give it a chance :) I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Sesshoumaru drove them to a little two-story house in the suburbs not too far from his building. They parked in front of the tiny yard and she followed him. It didn't take very long for someone to answer after he knocked.

"Hi Dad! Hi Kagome!" Rin shouted, hugging them both.

"Hi Rin," Kagome said, putting on as much of a smile as she could manage.

"Were you good, Rin?" Sesshoumaru asked.

She grinned at him. "Always!"

He raised an eyebrow and almost smirked. "Not always."

She giggled and hugged him again. "Daddy! _Mostly_ always good."

"She's always good here," said a woman's voice. Rei's mother walked up to them from inside and smiled politely.

When kagome looked at her, she gasped.

"Are you okay?" the woman asked.

_'She doesn't recognize me', _Kagome thought. "Uh, yeah. Sorry, you just... reminded me of someone I knew a long time ago." She held out her hand. "I'm sorry if that was rude. I'm Kagome."

Rei's mother held out her own hand with a smile, and shook Kagome's. "Not at all. Kikyo. It's nice to meet you, Kagome."

"Likewise," Kagome said, still a bit shocked.

Just then, a little girl about Rin's age appeared next to Kikyo. "Mom, does Rin have to go so soon?"

"Yes, love. Don't tell me you're sad, you just had an unplanned sleepover with her when you were only supposed to play for a few hours!"

"I knowww but she's my best friend," Rei said incredulously.

Kikyo smiled. "Oh darling, it's not the end of the world. Let's work on good goodbyes."

Rei rolled her eyes and hugged Rin. They giggled and parted. And then Kagome noticed Rei's eyes. Aside from her hair and skin, she didn't look much like her mother. It was her black dog ears and her golden eyes that sparkled with mischief and overflowing personality that shook Kagome to her core.

Sesshoumaru broke through Kagome's thoughts. "Thank you again for letting Rin stay here on such short notice."

"It is never a problem. We love having her, and I understand last minute emergencies. Have a wonderful day, Sesshoumaru."

"You as well."

When they left and walked to the car, Kagome glanced at Sesshoumaru curiously, and he glanced back. "That was... interesting," she said.

"Hn."

"Why didn't you tell me about her? I wouldn't have acted surprised."

"I thought it best for you to find out yourself."

"Sesshoumaru!" Kikyo called from her doorway. "I forgot to give you the muffins we made. Let me just wrap them up?"

He nodded. "Please excuse me for a moment," he told Kagome, and he turned, walking to the house and disappearing inside.

Kikyo was in the kitchen putting muffins in tupperware. "Sorry I forgot. I'll be just a minute."

"It is alright. Thank you; Rin loves your cooking."

Kikyo smiled. She knew that meant he loved it, too. He'd just never say it. "She doesn't suspect?" She glanced at him. He raised an eyebrow. "Kagome."

"No. I was not sure if you wanted her to know that you remember. I only knew that you were comfortable with me bringing her over here, so I did not reveal anything."

She looked relieved. "Thank you for keeping my secret. I will let her know when I'm ready. Here you go." She handed him the box and he thanked her.

When he got into his car and started it, he thought he should address the situation. He could feel the despair rolling off of Kagome and he knew she suspected Rei's parentage because of her eyes and dog ears."Rin, put your headphones on." The little girl did what she was told and was immediately lost in her world of music.

"Please tell me she's yours." But Kagome knew she wasn't.

"She is not."

Kagome sobbed. "Then this isn't the first time he cheated on me!"

"You think Inuyasha cheated on you?"

She looked at him in surprise through her tears. "How else can you explain those eyes? I've only ever seen them on you and him!"

"I can assure you that the one and only time he cheated on you was this one with his secretary."

"Really?"

"Yes. I would not lie."

"I know... Are you sure?"

"One hundred percent."

Kagome sighed. "Thank god."

"Many demons have yellow eyes, you know."

"Not gold," she mumbled.

"Perhaps there are not a lot of us, but the color does exist."

"How old is Kikyo? How did she get here? Does Inuyasha know about her? How can he not know? God, I never had a chance. I mean, I'm glad she got a second chance at happiness, I even wished for it, but now that she's a living, breathing, real version of herself with her own soul... I'm nothing compared to her. Even if nothing happened with Inuyasha and Emiko, if he ever found out about Kikyo, it'd be over between us in a heartbeat."

"Kikyo was reborn, not reincarnated. I have kept her from Inuyasha ever since I learned of her existence because of you, and to protect her. She has had a hard life since her rebirth. She and her sister lost their parents when they were very young, and they grew up in her grandparents' house. She is twenty-seven with a ten-year-old child."

Kagome thought for a moment. "Kaede? Kaede was reborn, too?" He nodded. "Wow, and Kikyo was only sixteen when she got pregnant?"

"Hn. She was cast out of her home for it and I took her in. I put her in an apartment in exchange for working for me. It was difficult, but I managed to keep Inuyasha from finding out because she was able to work from home. If you wish to know more, you will have to befriend her and ask her yourself."

Kagome grew quiet. She now felt guilty for feeling sorry for herself when Kikyo had a rough life. Forced to grow up so quickly, just like in her last life. "I'm sorry," she said quietly.

"Don't be. You are going through an emotional and traumatizing situation. Seeing someone so prominent from your past can only add fuel to the fire." They arrived minutes later and parked. Rin pulled off her headphones and unbuckled herself. Kagome took a deep breath, not yet ready to face her family. "What is the matter?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"My mom called me a ton of times yesterday, but I didn't answer. I turned my phone off. She must be worried sick."

"Didn't you ask her to watch your kit last night?"

"Yeah but I texted that to her with an apology and she said yes, but when she asked me to call her, I didn't. I just texted I can't, and then I shut my phone."

He could feel and smell her sadness and worry. "I am sure they are worried about you more than upset that you did not explain."

She sighed again. "I know."

"Your mom gave you life, Kagome!" Rin piped up. "She loves you and cares for you and worries about you, and if she ever gets mad, I'm sure she gets over it quickly because she loves you and wants you to be happy! Just like my dad!"

Kagome turned around and smiled at her. "You're right, Rin. Thank you."

Rin grinned and they all got out of the car after Kagome expressed that she would like them to go with her. Shippo, being a youkai, was the first to notice them walking up the steps to the shrine. He burst through the front door of the house and ran to her. "Mom!" He practically leapt into her open arms and she grunted, forced to take a step back.

"Oof, you're getting too big for that, Shippo."

He grinned. "Sorry! I missed you and I was worried about you because grandma and great grandpa were worried about you."

"I'm sorry, baby. I know I must have worried you guys."

His face fell. "You did... hi Rin! Hi Sesshoumaru-sama. Grandma was worried more than anyone else. She was so sad about you, but she and great-grandpa wouldn't tell me what happened to you, just that you couldn't come get me last night. Are you okay? Please tell me what happened!"

"Let's go inside and we'll talk, okay?" she said, eying her mother in the doorway. She was frowning and her eyes looked like she had been crying. Kagome walked up to her and they hugged. "I'm sorry, mama. I didn't mean to worry you. I just couldn't talk to anyone yesterday."

"I understand, but don't you ever shut off your phone, again. Don't cut off communication with me. You can at least text me where you are."

"I know. I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. I couldn't think."

"I'm so sorry, baby. There are so many things I want to say about him, but there are children present. Let's go in. I'll make tea and lunch."

With Mrs. Higurashi in the kitchen and able to hear them, Kagome began telling Shippo the story. "My love, I'm so sorry for keeping you in the dark for even a day." She sighed. Her son felt her grief rolling off her, so he hugged her. She squeezed him and kissed his head. "I think the best place to start is by saying Inuyasha and I are no longer together."

Shippo violently pulled himself away from her in shock. "What?! Why? What happened?" Then his demeanor suddenly changed and he looked _pissed_. "_What did he do?_"

Even Sesshoumaru was slightly impressed with Shippo's almost-growl. Kagome's eyes widened in surprise at her son's aggression. She could have sworn she saw a tinge of red flash in his eyes. "You're upset with him, not me?"

Shippo looked surprised. "Why on Earth would I be upset with you? He obviously did something terrible if it made you break up with him. And you're my mom. He's not my dad."

"But you love him, don't you?"

"Yeah, I guess. But he doesn't act like a dad, he acts like a big brother." His face fell. "I want a dad." He slapped his hands over his mouth. "I'm sorry!"

"Why are you sorry? I wish you told me that, sooner. I didn't know that bothered you. That's important, Shippo. Your feelings and wishes are important to me. Now, what was that spurt of fury all about?"

He looked embarrassed, so Sesshoumaru saved him. "It is a youkai thing." Kagome glanced at him. "Humans get fiercely protective over their family and friends, but youkai have an inner... being, if you will, that is as much a part of us as anything else."

Kagome nodded. "Inuyasha told me about that."

"The kit's inner youkai just showed itself for the first time, if I am correct." He looked at Shippo, who nodded. "He felt his mother was upset, so his beast reared its head to protect."

"I'm sorry if I scared you, mom."

"You didn't, love. I'm proud of you. I think a congratulations is in order." He smiled brightly, beyond ecstatic that his human mother wasn't afraid of his inner youkai. "But we'll talk about this later. You asked me a question, so I'll answer. Inuyasha did something terrible, you weren't wrong. He cheated on me." Shippo's eyes went fully red. Kagome, a little afraid for him, glanced at Sesshoumaru, but he just urged her to continue. "You must understand, he never meant to. I know that is no excuse, but his secretary drugged his drink." That didn't help. It only made Shippo worse. Now he was overloaded with protecting his mother from his friend and his friend being drugged by someone.

Sesshoumaru felt the need to step in. "Kit," he commanded, "calm down. Your mother is fine. She is hurt emotionally, but she is in no danger." Shippo's eyes flickered. Sesshoumaru let loose a loud growl only youkai would understand while his own eyes tinged red. Shippo bowed his head, and his eyes turned back to normal.

"Sesshoumaru-sama," he said shakily, "what's happening to me?"

"Your beast, coming through for the first time, is very hard to control. It is the equivalent of human puberty, though much worse. You will need a youkai to help you through this. I assumed Inuyasha would, but now that is not possible." He gave Kagome a knowing look. "That offer is still and always will be available."

"What is he talking about, mom?" Shippo asked.

Mrs. Higurashi, who heard everything, walked in with tea and sandwiches. "What offer?"

Kagome looked conflicted. "Sesshoumaru offered us the apartment beneath his in exchange for working for him while I get back on my feet. He is the one who found me yesterday, in the park in the rain. He brought me to his place and let me stay there for the night."

Mrs. Higurashi smiled at Sesshoumaru. "That was very nice of you. Thank you for helping my daughter."

He nodded respectfully.

"I appreciate the offer, Sesshoumaru," Kagome said gratefully. "I just really don't want to impose on you and I can't figure out why you want to help me. We made our ammends long ago, but we don't know each other."

"Kagome," her mother scolded, "never question kindness."

"It is alright," he said. "She has every reason to, and she is still unaccustomed to who I am now as opposed to who I was in the past." Kagome's grandfather, who had been sitting and listening silently, raised an eyebrow. Sesshoumaru addressed Kagome. "I will say again as I said last night, you would not be imposing. I am offering. No one has lived in that apartment in years. I need a competent assistant and I know you would be a perfect fit. As for today's reasons, your kit needs a youkai to help him through this time. No youkai should go through that alone."

She nodded. "Well... thank you. Very much." She started crying and Shippo, her mother, her grandfather, and Rin all hugged her.

"Cry, darling," her mother said. "Let it out."

So she did, because she couldn't keep it in any longer. Her grandfather was the first to let go of the pile of people, and stood up. He motioned for Sesshoumaru to follow him into the other room. When they were alone, he turned to face him. "I know who you are, Lord of the West, as most do. I also know that you have tried to kill Kagome in the past. However, I know you have changed. What you are doing for my granddaughter is unrivaled, and I wanted to thank you personally. I don't know why, but that is unimportant. As my daughter said, don't question kindness. Unless, of course, you have reason to. I am appreciative. But I am also suspicious. Not of ill intentions, just of motive. Please do not hurt my granddaughter. She has gone through enough."

Sesshoumaru knew exactly what he was referring to, and he felt that he should address the old man with traditional respect. "Respectful elder, I promise that no harm will come to her. I have no intentions for her but to help her. As for my motives, they are not as you seem to suspect. Even if I did have feelings for her, she does not need that kind of stress on her right now." He bowed his head, and the old man was impressed.

"And should feelings ever arise?"

"I cannot speak for that, as I cannot predict the future. However, I can assure you that that is not on my mind. First and foremost, we have an equal exchange."

"Are you helping her _only_ because you need something in return?"

Sesshoumaru stalled. The answer was no, but he didn't want to admit that. For some odd reason, he liked Kagome. She was never boring, and Rin adored her. He enjoyed having her around, but feelings? No, there were no feelings for her. "I need an assistant."

"That is not what I was asking." But he had a knowing smile on his face. "I don't know how she did it, but she wormed her way into your heart, as she does with every person she meets. Well, perhaps everyone but Naraku."

"She is good to Rin, and she is interesting."

"She is fun to talk to, is she not?"

Sesshoumaru paused to think of what to say. "She holds interesting conversations."

Mr. Takemaro chuckled. "In any case, no matter what happens, I thank you for taking care of her, motives aside. You are a good soul, and you have good intentions."

"Thank you for your compliments."

The old man nodded. Then he suddenly clapped his hands together. "So! I believe it is time for ice cream." He raided the fridge, handed Sesshoumaru six bowls, and they proceeded to the living room, where the two children and Kagome cheered. Ice cream made _everything_ better.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Again, I hope you enjoyed. If you liked or loved it, or if you have suggestions or constructive criticism, please send it my way!


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